Can-opener.



F. NOEL.

CAN OPENER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 15, 1910.

993,396. Patented May 30,1911.

FRANK NOEL, OF NORTH PLATTE, NEBRASKA.

CAN-OPENER.

eeasee.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 39, 1911.

Application filed August 15, 1910. Serial No. 577,264.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK NOEL, citizen of the United States, residingat North Platte, in the county of Lincoln and State of Nebraska, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Openers, of whichthe following is a specification.

The present invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements incanopeners and the object of the invention is to provide an improveddevice of this character which is thoroughly reliable and eliicient inoperation and which permits the top of the can to be easily and quicklysevered from the body portion thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a can-opener whichpossesses to a marked degree the characteristics of simplicity,durability and strength, which is compact in form, and which is capableof being cheaply manufactured.

With these and other objects in view that will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructionsand arrangements of the parts that I shall hereinafter fully describeand then point out the novel features of in the appended claims.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof andalso to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference isto be had to the following description and accompanying drawing, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating the manner of using myimproved canopener; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the canopener; Fig. 3is a top plan view thereof; Fig. 4 is an enlarged section on the line4-4 of Fig. 2; and, Fig. 5 is a fragmentary bottom plan view.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

My improved can opener is preferably constructed from a single length ofstout wire or other similar blank material, which is doubled upon itselfat an intermediate point to form a frame-like handle 1. The handleconsists of a pair of substantially parallel spaced side members,designated 2 and 2 respectively, and a curved intermediate or connectingportion 3.

At the extremity of one of the side members, say the side member 2, thewire is bent to provide an elongated loop that is deflected transverselyat an intermediate point so that its end portions lie in substantiallyperpendicular planes. One portion of the loop extends obliquelyforwardly and down wardly between the side members and occupies alongitudinal plane substantially at right angles to the plane of thehandle, said portion constituting a fulcrum member 4 which isapproximately U-shaped in side elevation. The member 4 is formed at itsfulcrum point, that is, at its lower bent portion, with an outstandingsharpened projection or tooth 5, for a purpose to be hereinafterdisclosed. The other portion of the loop extends transversely betweenthe side members and rests against the under side of the member 2 inorder to have a firm bearing against the handle and to constitute a base6 for the fulcrum member. The fulcrum member is thus materiallyreinforced and is held rigidly in position against any lateral bendingmovement. The forward arm or side of the fulcrum member is extendedupwardly through the base 6 and is engaged by one terminal of the wirewhich is twisted or tied thereabout at the extremity of the side member2*, as indicated at 7. The side member 2 is formed in its under side ata short distance behind its extremity with a seating recess or notch 8in which the rear side of the base 6 is received. It will thus be seenthat the side member 2 extends across the elongated loop and engageswith both sides of said loop so as to effectually tie the sides togetherand to prevent the loop from spreading under pressure. Attention is heredirected to the fact that the base 6 projects laterally outwardly beyondthe side member 2 so as to provide an extended bearing for the finger ofthe operator.

A wire is bent angularly from the forward side of the fulcrum member andis extended forwardly to provide a straight shank 9 that is disposedsubstantially in alinement with the handle. At the forward end of theshank the wire is returned obliquely rearwardly toward the handle and inopposed relation to the fulcrum member and is flattened to constitute acutting blade 10, the knife edge of which is located at its rear side.It will be observed that the fulcrum member, shank, and cutting bladeall lie in substantially the same plane, the fulcrum member and bladeconverging away from the shank with their extremities spaced apart in aline substantially parallel to the shank.

In practice, the extremity of the cutting blade is placed upon the topof the can and is forced downwardly th'erethrough by the application ofpressure upon the shank. The fulcrum member is brought to bear upon thecan top in rearwardly spaced relation to the point of penetration of theblade. The handle is then pressed downwardly so as to rock the deviceabout the fulcrum member. The blade is thus lifted and its rear edgecuts a slit toward the bearing point of'the fulcrum member. The deviceis then rocked in the reverse direction and is drawn rearwardly untilthe blade is positioned at the rear end of the slit. This operation isrepeated until the top has been severed from the can bottom. Thesharpened projection 5 bears against the can top so as to prevent thefulcrum member from slipping during the rocking movement of the device.Inasmuch as the loop-shaped fulcrum member is disposed obliquelyforwardly, it receives the pressure or thrust more nearly in thedirection of its axis during the operation of the device, and thereforeis not so likely to become accidentally bent out of place.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim 1s l. A can-openercomprising a handle, a shank provided with a cutting blade extendingobliquely rearwardly toward the handle, and a fulcrum member outstandingfrom the shank and extending obliquely forwardly toward the blade, theblade and the fulcrum member lying in substantially the same plane.

2. A can-opener comprising a handle, a shank provided with an angularlydisposed cutting blade, and a fulcrum member proj ecting angularly fromthe shank, the blade and the fulcrum member lying in the same plane andconverging away from the shank.

3. A can-opener formed of a single length of blank material andcomprising a handle, a shank provided with a cutting blade, and aloop-shaped fulcrum member projecting angularly from the shank andconnecting the shank with the handle, the blade and the fulcrum memberlying in substantially the same plane.

4. A can-opener formed of a single length of blank material andcomprising a handle, a fulcrum member, a cutting blade, and asubstantially straight shank connecting the fulcrum member and theblade, the fulcrum member and the blade lying in substantially the sameplane and extending angularly from the same side of the shank.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK NOEL. [L. s]

Witnesses:

HARRY LAMPLAUGI-I, CHESTER A. MACOMBER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents'each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

